Luise Walker (9 September 1910 – 30 January 1998) was an Austrian

classical guitar The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...

ist and guitar composer – one of the most prominent female guitarists of her time.

Life and career

Walker was born in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

and began studying guitar at the age of eight. Initially a student of Josef Zuth, she subsequently studied at the

University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university established in 1817 located in Vienna. With a student body of over three thousand, it is the largest institution of its kind in Austria, and one of t ...

, with Jakob Ortner. She also took lessons with

Heinrich Albert Heinrich Friedrich Albert (12 February 1874 – 1 November 1960) was a German civil servant, diplomat, politician, businessman and lawyer who served as minister for reconstruction and the Treasury in the government of Wilhelm Cuno in 1922/1923 ...

Miguel Llobet Miguel Llobet Solés (18 October 187822 February 1938) was a classical guitarist, born in Barcelona, Spain. Llobet was a renowned virtuoso who toured Europe and Americas, America extensively. He made well known arrangements of Catalan folk son ...

, both of whom were frequent guests at her parents home,Maurice J. Summerfield: ''The Classical Guitar. Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1800'', 5th edition (Blaydon-on-Tyne: Ashley Mark Publishing Co., 2002), p. 305. also with

Andrés Segovia Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987), was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were either students of Segovia or students of Segovia's students. Segovia ...

and

Emilio Pujol Emilio Pujol Vilarrubí (or ''Emili''; 7 April 1886 – 15 November 1980) was a Spanish composer, guitarist and a leading teacher of the classical guitar. Biography Emili Pujol was born in the little village of Granadella just outside Lleida, S ...

. From 1940, she devoted her life to the guitar. She gave concerts internationally, touring through many parts of Europe, Russia and the United States. For many years she taught guitar alongside Karl Scheit at the University of Music and Performing Arts. She was also a respected composer for the guitar, writing studies, solos and transcriptions.

Writings

*''Ein Leben mit der Gitarre'' (Frankfurt: Zimmermann, 1989); . Klein Romanze

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Luise 1910 births 1998 deaths 20th-century guitarists Austrian classical composers Austrian classical guitarists Austrian women classical composers Austrian women guitarists Composers for the classical guitar Women classical guitarists 20th-century women guitarists 20th-century Austrian women composers 20th-century Austrian composers